When You Love Someone
by conflicted-and-confused
Summary: Sometimes love stories have happy endings. Some don't. Sometimes you have to wait and see.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys. It's me again. This is a fic based loosely (quite loosely) on the song When You Love Someone by James TW. It's also AU, not based on their relationship during Glee at all, really. This is my first multichaper fic. I hope you enjoy it.**

Some love stories have happy endings. Some don't. Sometimes you have to wait and see.

 **Perfect Beginnings**

Three (ish) Years Ago:

Sometimes, people fall into relationships that seem almost too perfect. The people seem to fit together too perfectly. The happiness seems to intense. The love seems too strong. That described Sam and Quinn Evans perfectly.

They'd known each other for seven years, and at 26 and 27, they were welcoming their first baby. They had the type of family that people dreamed about. Sam, a high school physical education teacher and football coach, had met the love of his life, a kindergarten teacher, when they were both studying education. And now, laying in bed with their labrador retriever, Hank, they looked like a modern day Norman Rockwell painting.

"Do you think he'll hate me?" Quinn asked, her hands roaming absently over her growing belly. He would be here in a little less than two months, and she had recently started doubting herself so much that Sam was in a constant state of telling her how incredible she was.

He quirked an eyebrow at her and put a hand next to hers on her belly. He loved feeling the little bumps and nudges of the little life they had created. "I don't think anyone, ever, like in the whole wide world, could ever hate you," he said. He meant that - with all the sincerity in his heart, he meant it. Sam loved. That was his greatest virtue and his most devastating flaw. He loved too deeply, too quickly, and with too much forgiveness.

Quinn looked over at him, her hazel eyes lit with the fires of love and motherhood. "You're the sweetest man," she said quietly. She sighed softly, and wordlessly moved Sam's hand lower on her belly, guiding him to feel their son's little feet kicking away. "But I think you've passed your love of football to our son, and at this point, I'm not sure I approve.." she teased, wrinkling her nose at the feeling.

Sam felt so proud any time he felt little nudges and kicks from their little guy. When they'd found out it was a boy, he'd walked around with his chest all puffed out for like, two straight days. He'd told everyone he knew until he felt certain they were tired of hearing it. "I can't believe he'll be here so soon.." he said softly, leaning down to kiss her belly gently. In that moment, they were totally okay. There was no reason not to be. They were perfectly in love, and with a perfect, beautifully pregnant wife, Sam only had reasons to be happy.

"I don't know if I can do this…." Quinn mumbled in between deep breaths. She'd woken him up at exactly 5:31 that morning, poking him and telling him to help. The night before they'd done what they did best; they'd explored one another with hands and lips that worked under the direction of love and passion. They knew that soon, the baby would be there and they would be free from adult activities while she healed. They also knew that it could induce labor, and she wasn't totally against that since her due date had come and gone two days ago.

When she woke him up, he saw that the bed was wet. "My water broke.." she said plainly. She didn't seem nervous or scared or panicked. She was calm, like always. Sam, on the other hand, jumped out of bed with a pounding heart and a racing mind. She'd told him to "calm down because you're making me nervous." They'd shared their last kiss at the door as a family of two.

Now, she dilated to 10 and they were prepping her for delivery. Now, the panic, fear, and nervousness was settling in. "I'm tired," she whispered, her lip quivering slightly. Sam's heart broke for her in that moment, and he leaned down to kiss her forehead gently.

"I know, but you're gonna do so great, I know it," he said, giving her a reassuring lopsided grin.

At 4:58 p.m., their lives changed forever. Sam heard Quinn cry out as he watched their little guy slide from her body into their world. He was covered in gloopy stuff, and he was kind of purply red, but he was beautiful. So, so beautiful. They quickly placed him on Quinn's chest and everything happened so quickly. Cut cord. Wipe him off. Whisk him away. Bring him back. Listen to him cry. Try to feed him.

Then, almost as quickly as it happened, the commotion was over. They were alone with their little man. He was eating perfectly, and his chubby cheeks were enough to make Sam want to cry. He was perfect. Again, their life seemed like something straight from a magazine.

They named him Elijah James Evans. Eli. He was perfect. Life was perfect.

 **Babies, Babies**

After Eli was born, things only got better. They spent their days kissing him and kissing each other. He was the sweetest, chubbiest, happiest little baby. So, neither of them was upset, shocked, or unprepared for the fact that when he was almost 18 months old, Quinn found out she was pregnant.

For the coming months, they spent all of their time Eli proofing the house and prepping for baby number two. Sam fondly remembered one particular evening when Quinn was almost six months pregnant, and Eli was just days away from his second birthday.

One of their favorite things to do as a family was snuggle at night time. Post bath time snuggles became a nightly tradition. On this particular night, Eli was dressed in dinosaur pajamas, his hair messy from his bath. He was sandwiched between Sam and Quinn, whose belly was growing fast to accommodate their little girl. Eli was a curious, smart little man.

"Where's your belly button?" Sam asked, quizzing him on his body parts. Eli knew that one right away, poking his belly. Sam grinned and nodded. "That's right!" he said. "How about mama's belly button?" he asked. Eli giggled and pointed to Quinn's belly, showing him the little pregnancy induced popped out belly button.

Quinn gave a small, playful frown. "Don't encourage him to point to that.." she said, laughing and gently pushing Eli's hand away. "Where's your toes?" she asked. Eli knew that too, and he pointed to his toes. He scooted closer to her and puckered his lips, wanting kisses. She gave him a kiss and then looked to Sam.

"I hope it's always like this…" she said quietly.

Sam furrowed his eyebrows slightly. "What do you mean? Like what?" he questioned, pushing some of Eli's wild hair back away from his forehead. Sometimes his hair seemed untamable.

"Perfect," she said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "He's just so perfect. And you're perfect. And I know she's perfect. And I just hope that we can always have night time snuggles and kisses.." she said softly.

Sam grinned a little. "I'm sure we will. I don't imagine any of this changing.." he said, watching Eli poke Quinn's belly. He had no idea how quickly things could change.

11 Months Ago:

Three months to the day after their snuggles, their worlds changed again. Quinn woke up achy, so they sent Eli off to spend the day with his grandparents. They, of course, didn't hesitate at all to take their grandson for as long as they needed to. Sam had kissed his mom's cheek to thank her, knowing that when he returned, he'd be the father to a little girl, too. The pregnancies made him appreciate his mom more.

For the rest of the day, they just rested together, talking about what they thought their daughter would look like, how they thought Eli would react, and placing playful bets on her time of birth.

"I think she'll have your eyes. I hope she'll have your eyes.." Sam said, looking at Quinn. Her eyes always looked like they were being lit up by imaginary flames that lived inside her - green, with golden flecks.

As he finished his sentence, she took his hand and closed her eyes, breathing deeply through her contraction. When she opened her eyes, she gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "I think we should go…" she said softly. He knew to trust her. It was her body. So, he got the last bag to put in the car and led her out.

Sure enough, they had been at the hospital for less than twenty minutes when their little girl came rushing into the world. It was a whirlwind of doctors, nurses, Quinn's groans, and then baby cries. But when he saw her, the world seemed to stand still. She was perfect. Even newborn, she had the smoothest, softest, most perfect skin. She was petite. A total princess.

They'd decided on Emma. Emma Josephine. Quinn had decided her middle name. Ironically, her initials matched Eli's. That hadn't been intentional, but it seemed kind of perfect. Another piece to their perfect puzzle.

Emma was a perfect baby, too. Never fussy, always ready for cuddles. Eli loved her so much. Their family was like something out of an Old Navy ad, really. All blonde. All beautiful.

And that brings us to today.


	2. Chapter 2

**August 20**

The first day of school was always rushed, nerve wracking, and crazy. That was true even when you didn't have a three year old and a nine month old. Sam had been working for several weeks, but only for football practices. This was his first full day. It was also Eli's first full day of preschool. There was a program at Quinn's school, so he wouldn't be too far. Emma would go to Sam's parents' house during the day.

"Finish your pancake, okay? Then let daddy wash your face and hands so you can get your backpack.." Quinn said, looking to Eli from where she was wiping banana from Emma's face. Sam looked up, seeing Eli with his mouth full. He was in a cute little Superman shirt, shorts, and converses. He looked really cute. He couldn't believe he was three and starting preschool.

Sam finished his breakfast and rinsed his orange juice glass before placing it in the dishwasher. Eli looked up and held up his plate. "I'm finished, too!" he said. Sam kissed his head and put his plate in the washer too.

"Alright, little guy. Let's wash your hands.." he said, leading him to the sink. He washed his syrupy hands and then wiped his face with a wet napkin. "There we go.." he said. Eli giggled.

Quinn was gathering all of Emma's stuff. "Okay, you take Emma. You're late already..and so am I...Eli, grab your backpack and your lunch box and meet me at the door, please," she said, handing Sam their little girl.

Sam took her and kissed her cheek. "You're coming with me Emmanem.." he said, grabbing her diaper bag and his keys. He headed to the door, finding Eli there with his little backpack and his lunchbox. In that moment, he looked grown up. But also so tiny. Sam couldn't help but grin down at him. He knelt down and kissed his head.

"Have a great day at preschool, okay?" he said. It seemed crazy that their little guy was big enough to go to preschool. Owen gave a quick nod and a grin. He was nervous; Sam could tell. "I'll see you this afternoon. I love you, little man," he said.

Owen grinned and looked up. "Love you, Daddy!" he chirped. At about that moment, Quinn came walking to the door. She was in her "we're late this is the first day go go go" mentality, so Sam just gave her a quick kiss.

"I'll see you this afternoon. Have a great day," he said. She just gave a small smile and nodded.

"You have a good day too. I'll see you this afternoon," she said.

 **August 24**

Every morning during the first week of school went almost exactly like that. Wake up. Get dressed. Breakfast. Hurry hurry hurry. Quick kisses. Goodbye.

Sam had football practice on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Then games on Fridays usually. It was kind of a sucky schedule, but it was only during the fall. And the extra money was great. On the first Friday, Eli was worn out from his first week of school, so they opted for just Sam to coach and Quinn and the kids would stay home. That was fine with Sam.

It was late when he got home. He slid in the back door quietly, slipping his shoes off. He knew the babies were asleep. Quinn had been in the kitchen, and she peeked around the corner.

"Hey," she said, her voice quiet. "How was the game?" she questioned.

Sam gave a small grin and wrinkled his nose. "We won. How was your night?" he asked, noticing that she was sipping a glass of wine.

She shrugged slightly. "It's been okay. Emma was a little fussy, but I think it's a tooth. Eli passed out on the couch right after dinner. It's been a big week for him," she said. Sam nodded and went over to her, kissing her gently. He slid his arms around her and pressed his lips to her neck. That was usually one of their "signals." With the wine, he'd kind of wondered if she would want some special attention.

"Not tonight, Sam.." she said. "I'm exhausted," she added. He wasn't the type to get upset over that kind of thing, so he just nodded. "Okay...I love you.." he said, pecking her lips. She pecked back quickly. Sam didn't think much of it, really. It wasn't unusual for a kindergarten teacher who also happened to be the mother of an infant and a three year old to be tired.

 **September 25**

The first month of school passed with no issues, really. The fall was always stressful, but that wasn't unusual. But it didn't take long for unusual things to start happening.

One Tuesday, Sam came home from a later football practice. When he got home, the kids were both in bed. He found Quinn in the kitchen, washing dishes. She didn't turn around when he came in, and he figured maybe she just didn't hear him over the running water.

"Hey," he said, putting his keys on the counter and going to grab some water from the fridge.

"Hey," she said, her tone slightly sharp. Sam furrowed his eyebrows slightly and went over to stand by her at the sink. She didn't look up at him.

"What's wrong?" he questioned, standing by her and going to put his hand on her back. He was surprised when she moved away, grabbing one of Emma's bottles from the kitchen counter.

"Nothing. Everything's fine," she said, shaking her head. Sam knew that wasn't true. She didn't act this way when "everything was fine."

"I know something's wrong.." he started.

"Oh? Do you? When did you gather that bit of information? Considering the fact that you're never here," she interrupted.

Sam was mostly just really confused. "I...don't know what you're talking about?" he said.

Quinn shook her head and dried her hands, tossing the towel on the counter and starting to walk away. "Forget it," she mumbled. Sam immediately followed.

"No. Not forget it. I don't know where this is coming from," he said, following her into the living room. She spun around on her heel to face him.

"It's coming from a wife who's exhausted from raising two children alone," she said, narrowing her eyes at him. In that moment, they weren't lit with love. They were...angry. He could feel her anger toward him. That was also confusing.

"I..you're not alone? I'm here..I.." he started. Again, she interrupted him.

"No. You're not. You're not here. Where were you tonight? Where will you be tomorrow? The night after that? And what about Friday? Where will you be Friday?" she questioned.

"That's..no. That's not fair, Quinn. We knew what this job was when I took it," he said.

"That was before we had two children, Samuel," Quinn said, crossing her arms.

"Yeah, I know. But now the job is even more important. Because we have two children. Who like to eat food. And I'd like to be able to feed them.." he said.

Quinn narrowed his eyes at him and just turned around, heading upstairs. Sam didn't see how he was wrong at all. He was also just so confused by this entire argument. This had never been a problem before. He didn't realize just how big their problems were.

For the rest of the week, they barely spoke. It was so weird, really. Sam would try to talk, but she'd say she was "fine" and just change the subject to Emma or Eli. That wasn't how they usually did things. They would fight it out, or talk through the night to settle something.

On Saturday night, Sam was sitting in their bed while Quinn finished getting her pajamas on and doing her night time routine. She glanced at him, knowing he was watching her sometimes. Sam just wanted things to be okay.

"Why didn't you tell me that football bothered you?" he questioned. He watched as her shoulders slumped.

"Football doesn't bother me...not having you around bothers me," she said quietly. She made her way to the bed and sat next to him.

"I know but...we knew that was part of the job…" he repeated. She just nodded and picked at a loose thread on their comforter.

"I know...I overreacted. I was just...having a bad day or something," she shrugged. Sam furrowed his eyebrows. It was all very odd. "Let's just….forget it happened, okay?" she asked. Sam shrugged. If that would make things better. He nodded.

Quinn got under the covers and Sam turned his bedside lamp off, scooting in next to her. "I love you, and I'm sorry for not being around," he said softly, putting a hand on her hip.

Quinn nodded a little. "It's okay.." she said softly. Sam kissed her shoulder gently, but when he got no reaction, he knew it must be too soon.

After a little while, Sam felt sleepy, and he knew their conversation must have been over, considering she was making no move to say anything. "Goodnight," he said quietly.

When she didn't answer, he assumed she was sleeping. He didn't know that she was awake, her back to him. He didn't know that the love of his wife was drifting from him. He didn't know that this argument wasn't like other arguments. He didn't know that it was a gateway to really deep problems. Apparently, Sam didn't know the half of it.


	3. Chapter 3

**October 5**

 _6:13 A.M_

Sam was always pumped for homecoming week. It probably had to do with the fact that people were busting at the seams with school spirit over a team that he was the coach of. On game day, he woke up early and rolled over to press a gentle kiss on Quinn's shoulder. Things weren't perfect, he knew. No marriage was. They went through times like this sometimes; it was normal. He was kind of surprised when she let him roll her onto her back.

They spent some time with just the sound of the bed creaking, their breathing, and an occasional moan. She kept her hands on his low back and eventually they were both slightly sweaty and satisfied. They finished just in time for their alarm clock to start blaring. Sam reached over and turned it off before kissing her gently and rolling onto his back next to her. She gave a small smile over to him. She knew he was excited about today. Otherwise, she would have probably pretended to still be sleeping.

"You're going to the game tonight, right?" Sam asked, turning on his side to face her. She gave one of her infamous raised eyebrow looks.

"Do you think that Elijah James Evans would ever, in his whole life, let me skip out on the biggest game of the year?" she asked. She was right. Even though he was only three and didn't fully understand football, Eli loved games. He loved watching his dad be the coach. He loved being around big kids.

Sam wrinkled his nose slightly. "I guess you're right," he said. She sat up and then started toward the bathroom. They weren't talking, and that bothered Sam. They said small sentences. They talked about Eli and Emma. They'd had sex three times in the last month, but the talking was what bothered him most.

 _8:40 P.M._

Sam was in his element. His team was up by two touchdowns and the clock was running down. This team was easy to beat. Then again, for his team, most teams were easy to beat. He glanced back, seeing the stands full of current students, community members, and alumni. It was a seat of green and white. He'd spotted Quinn and the kids earlier. Mostly because Eli had been screaming at him.

Eli was stoked out of his little three year old mind. He had a belly full of popcorn and hotdog, and it was past it bedtime. But he didn't care. He was sandwiched between Quinn and Sam's dad. Quinn was tired, and she was ready to go. Emma was sleepy, but she was content.

The game ended with the sound of cheering from the home side. Eli jumped up and gave a little fist pump that was so characteristically Evans. Quinn stood too, holding a sleepy Emma. After a lap around the field with the victory bell, everyone started to filter out.

"I need to get her home," Quinn explained, looking at Sam's mom. Being a mother herself, Mary Evans completely understood.

Sam's dad, David, looked at Eli, who was still grinning from ear to ear. "We can stick around so he can ride home with Sam, if you want.." he said.

Quinn was pretty sure she'd never heard such beautiful words in her life. Her body was tired. Kindergarten was a hard grade to teach. She'd been up on her feet all day. "Thank you so much," she said. She leaned down to Eli. "Grandma and grandpa are going to stay with you so you can ride with daddy. Okay?" she asked.

Eli nodded quickly. "Okie!" he chirped. Quinn could look at him and tell that he was tired, too. He would never admit to it, though. She kissed his head and then headed down to her car with Emma.

 _9:16 P.M._

Quinn had finally gotten Emma settled in her carseat after weaving through about a billion cars. She was ready to get home and settled. As she started to reverse, she heard a thud. She glanced in the rearview mirror, seeing a car behind her. She cursed under her breath and leaned her head against the headrest. She took a deep breath and got out of the car to find a man getting out of the shiny red Mustang behind her.

"Are you okay?" he asked, looking down at her. When she looked up, she could see that he was tall and undeniably good looking. She was teary because this was just not the day.

"I'm fine..I'm sorry, I didn't even see you.." she started. He could see that she was actually visibly upset, so he shook his head a little.

"It's fine...it's not really bad," he mumbled, looking at the tiny dent and small scratches on his most prized possession. Quinn quickly swiped at her eyes and looked at her own car. It didn't look bad. She reached into the driver's side and started fishing around in the console for a pen. She grabbed a scrap of paper too and scribbled her name and number.

"Here is my information..I...just let me know what the cost is or whatever. I can call my insurance company on Monday..I'm so sorry.." she mumbled. The guy took the slip of paper and slipped it into his wallet. He pulled out a card, scribbled his cell number on the back, and handed it to her.

She read it over. Andrew Walden, D.D.S. "I'll get my damages examined and see what happens. Don't worry too much over it, okay?" he laughed, quirking an eyebrow and climbing into his car. Quinn just nodded. He drove away and she got in, pulling away too. What a day.

 **October 8**

Over the weekend, Quinn had told Sam about the car. He wasn't mad, and he'd inspected the damage to find that there wasn't really any. Still, Quinn was nervous because she had no idea how much the damage to the other guy's car was going to cost.

During her students' naptime, she saw her phone light up on her desk. She didn't recognize the number.

-Hey, this is Andrew. They guy with the mustang. Talked to my insurance. I'm going to cover my costs myself. No worries.-

Quinn was so glad to hear that he wasn't upset or anything. She typed back a quick message. -Thanks so much. Sorry about it again.- she sent. Within few minutes, her phone was lighting up again.

-No more apologies. Couldn't stand seeing someone so pretty so upset. Maybe we could meet sometime? When we haven't just had a fender bender. Lol-

Quinn didn't know why she didn't just ignore it. She didn't know why she didn't delete the conversation and let it go. She certainly didn't know why she responded with. -That would be nice! Of course!-

Mostly, she didn't know why she didn't feel that bad about it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks to Alex for being the only person who is reading this. I'm sorry that it's breaking your heart. D: Also, I am aware of a timeline issue in chapter one. Ignore it, okay?**

 **October 17**

The first time she met Andrew, Quinn felt butterflies in her stomach. He was handsome in some new, exciting way that was totally unlike Sam. He was tall and lanky with thick, dark hair that was intentionally messy. He also had dark scruff around his jaw, chin, and cheekbones - all of which were impossibly chiseled. He was new and different, and for Quinn, that was part of what made him so likable.

The first time she met Andrew, she'd lied to Sam. She'd told him she had a parent/teacher conference after school. She did not have a parent/teacher conference after school. But Sam loved her, and he believed her. Remember his greatest flaw? He loved too deeply.

The first time she met Andrew, she'd driven across town to a discrete diner that she knew Sam would never find out about. They'd talked about things other than diapers and football and bills. They'd talked about their lives. He was good at listening to her. He could smile at her and show off his dimples and make her feel like she was the only thing in the world.

The first time she met Andrew, she scheduled the second time she would meet Andrew.

 **October 20**

Quinn changed Andrew's name in her phone to Sarah. Sam would never suspect anything that way. He trusted her too much. He loved too deeply.

As they were getting ready for bed, he watched her. She seemed so distant and weird. "Are you sure you're okay? You've been acting different lately.." he started. She looked up from brushing her teeth and nodded quickly.

"I'm just tired," she lied. "I have a class full of busy bodies this year." Another lie. She was getting good at that, actually. Sam just nodded and shrugged. He believed her too easily. Another flaw.

 **October 24**

 _7:13 A.M._

"I have to go to the dentist this afternoon. I got a call about something with our insurance, so I'll have Jessica take Eli over to the high school so you can take him home. You'll need to pick Emma up too," Quinn said. Jessica was another kindergarten teacher who had a little boy in preschool. His name was Lincoln and he was Eli's best little friend. The dentist thing wasn't a total lie. Andrew was a dentist.

Sam nodded as he finished his orange juice. He stood and put his cereal bowl in the dishwasher. "I'm late already, so I'll see you when you get home.." he said, going over and kissing her gently. Her lips barely reacted to his. He figured maybe it was because she was eating breakfast. He got Emma's bag and then scooped her up from her high chair. She was a happy baby in the mornings, so that made him happy. "I'll see you later, Eli! I love you!" he said.

Eli was always so happy with his dad. He grinned around his cereal spoon. "Love you!" he said.

Sam looked to Quinn and gave a grin. "I love you. I'll see you later," he said. She gave a small nod.

"See you later," she said. He sighed softly and walked out to the car. This wasn't unusual anymore. That was what hurt him the most.

 _4:36 P.M._

Andrew had told Quinn that when she got to his office, she could tell the receptionist that she was there specifically to see him. It worked like a charm, and now she was sitting in one of his big chairs in front of a big wooden desk with his name on it. He was finishing up his last patient of the day, and then he'd promised he'd be right back to her.

She was noticing all of the little things about his office - how insanely neatly his supplies were organized, the degrees hanging on the wall behind his desk, the photo of him and his dog. She turned slightly when she saw the door open. He gave her a small grin and walked to sit at his desk. "Hi," he said.

She gave him a little smile. "Hey.." she said, fidgeting with her hands nervously. Her ring was on, but she slipped it off and tucked it into the outside of her purse. He knew she was married, but it was a reminder to her that she was doing something she probably shouldn't.

Once his last patient was gone, all of the receptionist and hygienists had started to leave. They were alone.

The second time she met Andrew was the first time they kissed.

5:14 P.M.

Quinn felt so strange. It had happened in a ridiculously fast way. But here she was, straddling his hips as he sat in an absurdly expensive desk chair. The leather underneath his bare legs squeaked in an uncomfortable way. He was breathing against her neck, his hands holding her skirt up. They were finished now, and Quinn wasn't sure how much she liked the lingering, so she shifted her weight and stood, grabbing her underwear from the floor and pulling them up. She tried to ignore the fact that Andrew, for some reason, had had a condom readily available.

The second time she met Andrew was the first time they had sex.


End file.
